EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and African Union Commissioner Amma A. Twum-Amoah have warned of escalating violence in and around El Obeid in Sudan, saying more than 605,000 people in the town and surrounding rural areas are being affected.
The two commissioners declared in a joint op-ed on Tuesday that they were “deeply alarmed” by the humanitarian consequences of the fighting and by what they described as continued disregard for international humanitarian law and civilian protection.
They said more than 563,000 civilians were “trapped” in El Obeid, including over 105,000 displaced people who had already fled violence elsewhere, according to their statement cited by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Recent weeks have seen intensified attacks affecting fuel stations and depots, market areas, health facilities, commercial convoys and residential neighbourhoods, all of which they described as civilian infrastructure protected under international humanitarian law — the rules of war intended to limit harm to civilians and non-combatants.
Humanitarian partners have reported worsening shortages of fuel, water and electricity, while schools, markets, shops and humanitarian warehouses have closed in many areas, cutting families off from basic goods and services, the commissioners said.
Calls for ceasefire and access for aid
Lahbib and Twum-Amoah stated that warnings of an offensive on El Obeid had raised fears of mass displacement and “grave risks” for civilians, including serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
They called on the Rapid Support Forces to “immediately cease all military operations in and around El Obeid” that put civilians at risk.
The commissioners said the fighting must stop and called for a ceasefire, as well as protection of humanitarian access routes, describing El Obeid as a critical hub for aid operations across Kordofan.
Humanitarian organisations are pre-positioning food, medical supplies and cholera response kits in and around El Obeid, but the commissioners said relief efforts could not keep pace with escalating violence and that urgent support was needed to sustain operations.
